An MP who signed a pledge to tackle global warming has confessed on Twitter to
lighting his house up like the “Blackpool illuminations” for Christmas.

Andrew Gwynne: As well as draping hundreds of miniature lights over the hedge, he has installed a large illuminated angel and stocking on the front of the house and hung flashing icicles over the door. Photo: MEN

Andrew Gwynne, the Labour member of Denton and Reddish in Greater Manchester, recently joined the “10:10” campaign, which asks people and businesses to commit to cutting their carbon footprint by 10 per cent by 2010.

But he has put his green credentials in doubt after bowing to pressure from his children to festoon the family home in lights.

As well as draping hundreds of miniature lights over the hedge, he has installed a large illuminated angel and stocking on the front of the house and hung flashing icicles over the door.

He even wrote about the “big switch-on” on Twitter, the microblogging site, promising to post photographs for supporters on Saturday.

But a few hours later he wrote: “Have just had a shocking thought! Have signed up to 10:10 but my house now resembles the Blackpool illuminations.”

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Other users of the site pointed out the unfortunate timing with the opening of the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen.

In his defence, Mr Gwynne said: “The lights are LED so they use less power.

“But after I’d done it done I thought ‘oh crumbs, they’re having rallies about the environment in London and the world leaders are meeting in Copenhagen and here’s me putting all these lights up.”

Mr Gwynne, who entered Parliament at the last election, joked that he would be making his children “sit in the dark for the rest of the month“ and turning off the heating to cover his carbon footprint.

He added that it was possible to care for the environment but still celebrate Christmas.

Representatives from more than 190 countries are gathering in the Danish capital for the discussions on cutting carbon dioxide emissions.

The 10:10 pledge is the idea of Franny Armstrong, a British documentary maker.

It has attracted support from almost 50,000 individuals as well as Ed Miliband’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and David Cameron’s Shadow Cabinet among others.